Building Linux Virtual Private Networks

Rating:
Summary: If Linux VPNs are your problem, this book is the solution
Review:
"Building Linux VPNs" (BLVPN) succeeds on multiple levels. It's lively, wise, practical, and thorough. With a minor exception, BLVPN is an unqualified triumph.

One of the book's amazing features is its willingness to not rehash "common knowledge." In other words, BLVPN assumes people who read books on Linux VPNs know something about two subjects: (1) Linux and (2) networking. Therefore, BLVPN doesn't waste time teaching the reader how to use the command line, and it doesn't include yet another boring description of the OSI model. Instead, BLVPN launches straight into practical, operational instructions for creating virtual private networks. I would like to see other authors adopt this approach!

Some of the book's key strengths include troubleshooting hints, clear diagrams, directory listings for key files, complete sample configuration scripts, and discussions of advantages and disadvantages of various VPN solutions. Furthermore, the text is supported by a web site with copies of the scripts available for download.

Because each chapter is a self-contained unit for each VPN technology, readers can pick a solution and begin immediate implementation. No other VPN book delivers implementation-grade advice like this.

My only regret was a failure to mention interoperability with BSD-based IPSec implementations. I would have loved to see a chapter on matching FreeS/WAN for Linux with KAME/racoon for FreeBSD. The authors should also consider describing how to configure Windows 2000/XP in IPSec tunnel mode to interoperate with IPSec on Linux and/or FreeBSD. Additionally, I believe I found typos in the figures on pages 168-9. I expect the book's web site errata page to publish a correction, if necessary.

If you need to build host-host, host-network, or network-network VPNs using Linux (or really any open source platform), "Building Linux VPNs" is your book. I recommend "Virtual Private Networks" by Yuan and Strayer as a complementary volume for those needing additional material on VPN theory and protocol encapsulation.

Rating:
Summary: If Linux VPNs are your problem, this book is the solution
Review: "Building Linux VPNs" (BLVPN) succeeds on multiple levels. It's lively, wise, practical, and thorough. With a minor exception, BLVPN is an unqualified triumph.

One of the book's amazing features is its willingness to not rehash "common knowledge." In other words, BLVPN assumes people who read books on Linux VPNs know something about two subjects: (1) Linux and (2) networking. Therefore, BLVPN doesn't waste time teaching the reader how to use the command line, and it doesn't include yet another boring description of the OSI model. Instead, BLVPN launches straight into practical, operational instructions for creating virtual private networks. I would like to see other authors adopt this approach!

Some of the book's key strengths include troubleshooting hints, clear diagrams, directory listings for key files, complete sample configuration scripts, and discussions of advantages and disadvantages of various VPN solutions. Furthermore, the text is supported by a web site with copies of the scripts available for download.

Because each chapter is a self-contained unit for each VPN technology, readers can pick a solution and begin immediate implementation. No other VPN book delivers implementation-grade advice like this.

My only regret was a failure to mention interoperability with BSD-based IPSec implementations. I would have loved to see a chapter on matching FreeS/WAN for Linux with KAME/racoon for FreeBSD. The authors should also consider describing how to configure Windows 2000/XP in IPSec tunnel mode to interoperate with IPSec on Linux and/or FreeBSD. Additionally, I believe I found typos in the figures on pages 168-9. I expect the book's web site errata page to publish a correction, if necessary.

If you need to build host-host, host-network, or network-network VPNs using Linux (or really any open source platform), "Building Linux VPNs" is your book. I recommend "Virtual Private Networks" by Yuan and Strayer as a complementary volume for those needing additional material on VPN theory and protocol encapsulation.

Rating:
Summary: Clear and concise, a very well written book on Linux VPNs
Review: Building Linux Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) from New Rider is a must
have book for anyone interested in the topic. Not only does it do a great
job providing useful and current information for setting up common ssh/ppp,
ssl/ppp, PPTP and IPSec configurations, it covers some more exotic VPN
applications using VTun, cIPe and tinc. The book is very well organized and
extremely readable for a person that is comfortable with networking and
linux. The authors cover the design and implementations of the mentioned
VPN technologies with ample diagrams and example configuration material.
They, also, provide many pros and cons for each of the technologies.
The authors did a great job of covering a large number of applications in
a very clear and concise fashion.

Rating:
Summary: Step by step instructions that WORK!
Review: Building Linux VPNs is the first book I've bought in the last three years that has the right balance between theory and practice. The first two chapters let you know everything you need to know about VPNs and network topologies and 'gotcha's (where should the DNS server go? How should I route?)

They get all this out of the way quickly. Many books that are dedicated to VPNs only talk about this part of the equation, and do so for hundreds of pages. Oleg and Brian get it all down so you can digest it in a sitting and have everything you need to know.

The remaining chapters cover specific VPN protocols. I needed to support PPTP for the majority of my windows clients, and IPSec for my remote offices and more recent laptops that suppported it. I literally built these VPNs by reading and copying in text (yes, I could have got the code off the web page, but nothing is better than doing it yourself) as I went along. Not a single problem, it was smoother than smooth.

I can't recommend this book enough. If you want a VPN on Linux (or other Unix for that matter) then this is the book for you.

Rating:
Summary: Step by step instructions that WORK!
Review: Building Linux VPNs is the first book I've bought in the last three years that has the right balance between theory and practice. The first two chapters let you know everything you need to know about VPNs and network topologies and 'gotcha's (where should the DNS server go? How should I route?)

They get all this out of the way quickly. Many books that are dedicated to VPNs only talk about this part of the equation, and do so for hundreds of pages. Oleg and Brian get it all down so you can digest it in a sitting and have everything you need to know.

The remaining chapters cover specific VPN protocols. I needed to support PPTP for the majority of my windows clients, and IPSec for my remote offices and more recent laptops that suppported it. I literally built these VPNs by reading and copying in text (yes, I could have got the code off the web page, but nothing is better than doing it yourself) as I went along. Not a single problem, it was smoother than smooth.

I can't recommend this book enough. If you want a VPN on Linux (or other Unix for that matter) then this is the book for you.

Rating:
Summary: Finally someone wrote this book!
Review: I am the main network IT guy for a small firm, and was told a year ago that we needed to get remote access ability for our employees when they're home, and get a VPN set up between our main office and the one downtown. I've been putting this off for about a year now because I never felt like I would be able to figure it all out on my own.

I've read pretty much every VPN book out there, and have been dissapointed at every turn. Even the one by O'Reilly, normally a really great publisher, didn't have actual implementation details that are necessary.

Building Linux Vpns gives you a great introduction in the first two chapters to get you up to speed, teaches you all the right terminology, possible network layouts, and stuff, and then dedicates the rest of the book to easy-to-follow step-by-step implementation details.

After reading the book it took 2 hours from start to finish for me to get our two offices connected via VPN (I went with IPSec / Freeswan), simply following the instructions. I'm in the middle of testing the PPTP setup for home access for those PC folks, and it is working exactly as promised.

If you actually need to understand vpn ideas and be able to build one, this is the book for you.

Rating:
Summary: I am so disapointed
Review: I don't know what is hapening with this people...
I buy this book based in that reviews (all 5 stars) and when I open the book I am totaly disapointed. About the book: The examples is not complete and the text is confused. I do not recomend.

Rating:
Summary: The VPN book I wish I'd written
Review: I moderate the Virtual Private Networks mailing list on SecurityFocus. There aren't very many good books on VPNs, and those that are reasonable tend to be more focused on protocols and specifications, and less on how to get the darn things up and running. Oleg and Brian lay out the different choices in terms of technical architectures, helping the readers pick which solution is best for their needs. They provide great info on getting things up and working -- lots of examples -- and hurrah, lots of tips for troubleshooting. If you have to deploy a VPN and you want to do it quickly, inexpensively and securely, BUY THIS BOOK.

Rating:
Summary: The VPN book I wish I'd written
Review: I moderate the Virtual Private Networks mailing list on SecurityFocus. There aren't very many good books on VPNs, and those that are reasonable tend to be more focused on protocols and specifications, and less on how to get the darn things up and running. Oleg and Brian lay out the different choices in terms of technical architectures, helping the readers pick which solution is best for their needs. They provide great info on getting things up and working -- lots of examples -- and hurrah, lots of tips for troubleshooting. If you have to deploy a VPN and you want to do it quickly, inexpensively and securely, BUY THIS BOOK.

Rating:
Summary: Really great
Review: I was trying to get an unsniffable connection so I couldn't be snooped on, but was having a devil of a time. I'd tried a combo of ssh portforward and other tunnels, but couldn't get the damn things to work right. Got this book and was able to set up an actual VPN between my machines, and am happily cryptoed from end to end. Was really simple if you follow the instructions here.

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